Pope Benedict XVI decries
‘destructive’ aspects of media,
internet
BY A CORRESPONDENT
March 9, 2007
Pope Benedict XVI has appealed to
media leaders around the world to
safeguard children and families and
decried the “destructive” influences
exerted by television and internet. He
also expressed concern over
multinational monopolization of media.
“I appeal again to the leaders of the
media industry to advise producers to
safeguard the common good, to uphold
the truth, to protect individual human
dignity and promote respect for the
needs of the family,” the Pontiff told
the Plenary Assembly on Social
Communications at the Vatican on March
9, 2007. The Pope spoke in English.
“On the one hand, undoubtedly, much of
great benefit to civilization is
contributed by the various components
of the mass media,” the Pope said. “On
the other hand, it is also readily
apparent that much of what is
transmitted in various forms to the
homes of millions of families around
the world is destructive.”
The Pontiff pointed out the “pervasive
role in shaping culture” that the
media have, while noting the “demise”
of traditional media and the rise of
electronic media that are controlled
by “a few multinational conglomerates
whose influence crosses all social and
cultural boundaries.”
Strategies for using new technology
to communicate the Gospel message and
for counteracting the negative impact
of the media dominated the assembly
held from March 5 to 9, 2007.
US Archbishop John P Foley said the
Catholic Church must fulfill its
responsibility to share with all
people “the message of their origin in
God, their destiny with him in heaven
and their redemption in Jesus Christ.”
The problem, he said, is that the
message of salvation “must compete
with thousands of other messages –
messages that perhaps appear
immediately more appealing or more
tempting.”
Sister Judith Zoebelein, from the
United States, who works in the
Vatican’s internet office, said the
Church must expand its presence on the
internet. But it must do so in a way
that helps lead people from a
“virtual” experience of faith and
community to a personal encounter with
the Lord and participation in a
parish.
The Vatican's website has helped
people who were already part of a real
community connect in a virtual
community with the Vatican, accessing
documents and even sending e-mail
greetings to the Pope, Sister Judith
Zoebelein said.
The next step must be using the
internet to reach those who are not
part of any concrete community, she
said.
In an attempt to ensure that an
internet search of things that are
Catholic leads to finding a real
experience of the Church, the
Vatican's internet office is running a
trial e-learning site, Sister
Zoebelein said.
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